So ya'll like GFX? (Help me!)

Hardware GPU
1

Hey guys I just built my first computer and am looking to upgrade the gpu. My current GPU is a Zotac gt 440 Gddr3 1gb. (bought this off my friend for 20 bucks) I am using this card just untill I get enough money to upgrade. 

Here are my system specs

Cpu: Amd Phenom ii X4 965 BE Running at 3.4ghz (not going to over clock)

8 gigs of Ram

480w Power supply

1360x768 Monitor

I am not happy with my current GPU because it is too slow. I am looking to play modern games at medium to high settings.(Far Cry 3, Crysis 3, Battlefield 3, Planetside 2 ect.) I dont care about running on very high or ultra. And I am looking to have it last at least a year. Im hoping that my low resolution screen will allow me to get a graphics card with NO EXTERNAL POWER. I just want to plug it in and be done with it. From my understanding the 7750 is the best card without external power. Will this card fufill my needs? I am pretty sure It will be a major upgrade from my Gt440. And if it is a good option, do you guys suggest and certain models? (saphire, msi, gigabyte, asus ect)

And also does AMD come out with new graphics cards regularly? It may take me a couple months to scrounge up the $150 I am willing to spend. Should I wait untill a new GPU comes out? I really want a GPU that will run off the PCI express power. PLEASE ONLY SUGGEST CARDS WITH NO EXTERNAL POWER NEEDED.

Any help would be great! 

 

2

Umm... cards that don't require external power are going to be pretty crappy. Look into getting a 7770, possibly, or a 7850, if you can.

3

I was hoping the 7750 would be good for that low of a resolution, but if not I will look into those

4

7770 is your bare minimum for playing games at medium/high settings at 1080p.

5

Im playing at 1360x768 will the 7750 work?

6

Yeah, a card with no external power is a tough nut to crack, especially if you are looking for performance.

Well i suppose 7750 would work, its a huge upgrade from your current card, and should do just fine on lower resolution. But for FPS games like BF3, you might want something faster, looking at benchmarks, you get 40 FPS at best, but they also test it on higher resolutions like 1680x1050 and on High Settings.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-hd-7770-7750-benchmark,3135-6.html

 

Now i did some research, and Nvidia has 650 and 650 Ti *Ti is a small upgrade from 7770. But in those cards, you need 6-pin power connector as-well. Your PSU should be sufficient enough to run it.

640 However does not need the 6-pin and would do, but compared to 7750, its a bit slower.

Here is a tool what you might find of some use to you: http://images10.newegg.com/BizIntell/tool/psucalc/index.html

*just a reminder, try to have it 40W lower than recommended PSU.

 

If theres no way you can go for a card with 6-pin power connector, then 7750 is propably your best choice.

 

Now since i'm just curious, why not get a 6-pin connector and get a faster card, you 480W PSU should be fine with it.

Here are some options, if you are missing the cables, and decide to go a bit higher performance.

http://www.amazon.com/Branded-8inch-15pin-Express-Power/dp/B005NJXY7O/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1363727428&sr=8-2&keywords=6-pin+pci+express

http://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-6-Inch-Express-Adapter-LP4PCIEXADAP/dp/B0007RXDDM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1363727428&sr=8-1&keywords=6-pin+pci+express

 

Hope this helps a bit.

Oh and heads up, Planetside 2, wont run fine, heck it even crawls sometimes during gameplay on my PC, propably the CPU cant handle the heat, just poor programming, like in DayZ Arma II mod. Just make sure to edit your Shader setting manually, theres a youtube video and a whole article about it somewhere in the web.

7

dude you rock thank you so much

8

the main reason I dont want the external power cable is because it would be a huge hassle. I routed it through the back and I would almost have to rebuild my pc to get access to it. I am also powering a lot of accessories through usb  (hard drive, Speakers, webcam, mouse and keyboard, wifi adapter)So idk if my power supply can handle it. Hopefully it will because the 650 ti looks awesome. If I get that one I will probably go top of the line and go with EVGA.

9

If you can't get an external power cable, then the 7750 is sure the way to go. It should give you ample performance at your resolution anyways so I think it is a worthwhile upgrade.

10

The GTX 650 Ti is a pretty nice card, but the Radeon HD 7850 is a better one, especially since you really do want to get a card with 2 GB of VRAM. Also, EVGA isn't necessarily the best manufacturer, but they do have really, really good customer service.

Don't be afraid to rebuild your PC, I'm sure by now it needs it just so you can wipe everything down and give it a good cleaning.

Most things that connect via USB draw very little on your power supply. So I wouldn't worry too much about that.

11

thank you all so much, I have rebuilt my PC and re routed the 6 pin power connector. I am planning on getting the EVGA 650 ti at standard clock speeds with 2 gigs of gddr5. I might consider the 7850 but i need to research how much power it consumes